Good morning. It's Monday, Dec. 22, and we're covering a seized oil tanker, the first wheelchair user in space, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4.5 million insatiably curious readers. Sign up here.
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The US said it seized an oil tanker leaving Venezuela Saturday and was pursuing another vessel as of this writing. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem released a video of Coast Guard members boarding the ship via helicopter; see here.
The Panamanian-flagged oil tanker called the Centuries was not on a list of US-sanctioned entities. Observers claim it had previously shipped sanctioned goods and had engaged in spoofing—a practice of falsifying location data. It is believed to be owned by a China-based trader and was estimated to be carrying more than 1.8 million barrels of crude oil. Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves—estimated at over 300 billion barrels—and exports an estimated 749,000 barrels per day, 80% of which goes to China.
The US Coast Guard first seized a tanker in the region, the Skipper, earlier this month (see write-up). Oil prices jumped 3% since President Donald Trump announced a blockade last week on oil tankers entering and exiting Venezuela. |
Turning Point USA Returns |
Turning Point USA wrapped up its fifth annual AmericaFest yesterday, a gathering of some of the most prominent figures in the conservative movement.
More than 30,000 people attended this year’s event—the first since founder and former CEO Charlie Kirk was assassinated in September. Speakers included Donald Trump Jr., House Speaker Mike Johnson (R, LA-4), and media figures including Megyn Kelly, Ben Shapiro, and Tucker Carlson. The convention saw high-profile moments of infighting, including over the US’ relationship with Israel and allegations of antisemitism. Vice President JD Vance gave the closing speech after TPUSA CEO Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, endorsed him for president last week (Vance has not announced a bid as of this writing). See speeches here.
TPUSA is a significant force in the conservative movement, generating over $500M in total revenue since its 2012 founding and boasting over 350,000 grassroots donors. Learn about the organization’s finances here. |
A 33-year-old German engineer became the first wheelchair user to go to space over the weekend, riding aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard launch vehicle. The roughly 10-minute-long trip took Michaela Benthaus, paralyzed below the neck in a bike accident in 2018, and five other passengers more than 65 miles above the Earth’s surface.
The Jeff Bezos-owned company has emerged as a leader in the nascent space tourism industry, having shuttled 86 passengers across 17 flights just past the edge of outer space since 2021. The trips rely on a reusable booster that launches vertically, with the capsule separating at the Kármán line—which roughly marks where space begins—before coasting and eventually parachuting back to Earth. Previous passengers include a 90-year-old William Shatner and singer Katy Perry.
Benthaus’ trip was sponsored by a fellow passenger, though general public reservations can be made with a $150K deposit (though trips aren’t guaranteed). See footage from inside the cabin here. |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> Four teams advance to join the four top seeds in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals; see preview of the matchups, scheduled to begin Dec. 31 (More) |
> Bowen Yang ends run at "Saturday Night Live," bidding farewell to the show midseason (More) | Third "Avatar" installment earns $88M at the domestic box office, $345M globally (More) |
> Boxer and influencer Jake Paul loses to former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in Netflix match Friday, confirms jaw broken in two places (More) |
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> Self-driving company Waymo temporarily suspends service in San Francisco after widespread blackout knocks out traffic lights, leaving cars unable to function safely (More) | See our favorite insights on autonomous cars (1440 Topics) |
> Commerce Department reportedly cancels five-year, $285M contract with the public-private SMART Institute; consortium focused on using digital replicas to speed up chip manufacturing (More) |
> Evolutionary study suggests ant species with weaker individual exoskeletons free up nutritional resources to create more worker ants, tending to lead to more successful colonies (More) |
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> US stock markets close up Friday (S&P 500 +0.9%, Dow +0.4%, Nasdaq +1.3%), driven by a rebound in AI stocks; Oracle rises 6.6% on news of impending TikTok sale (More) |
> Analysis shows a record $61B flowed into data center construction deals in 2025, with roughly 75% made in the US and Canada (More) |
> Delaware Supreme Court reinstates Tesla CEO Elon Musk's $56B bonus package from 2018, which was rescinded by a lower court last year; Musk becomes first person to surpass $700B in net wealth (More) |
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> Gunmen kill at least nine people, wound 10 others in mass shooting in Bekkersdal, South Africa (More) |
> Files released by the Justice Department Friday include copy of the earliest known complaint against sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, submitted to the FBI in 1996; the government did not bring charges until more than a decade later (More) |
> French authorities arrest three employees at the Élysée Palace on suspicion of stealing thousands of dollars' worth of silverware (More) |
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Dear Readers—
During this holiday season, the 1440 team wants to take a moment to say thank you for joining us on the journey to fact-forward, curiosity-provoking news. From 78 friends and family in 2017 to an audience of 4.5 million readers, your feedback and input have been invaluable.
If 1440 helps you feel more informed each morning, we’d be grateful if you shared it with someone in your life, a friend, family member, colleague, or neighbor. Your recommendation is one of the most important ways our community grows, and it’s a big part of what makes 1440 possible.
Click here to share 1440–and thanks as always for being a reader! |
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Historybook: Beethoven’s "Fifth Symphony" premieres (1808); Former first lady Lady Bird Johnson born (1912); Maurice and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees born (1949); Colo becomes first gorilla born in captivity (1956); “Don’t ask, don’t tell” military policy repealed (2010).
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